The Year of Hiding
by dragongirlG
Summary: Sirius's point of view in the third book. Please read and review.
1. The Discovery

A laugh. An insane laugh rang in his ears. The whole situation was surreal, really. Armed hit Ministry wizards, disbelief etched into their faces, pulling out their wands doubtfully to arrest him. Muggle screams slitting the cool first day of November: horrified, anguished screams upon seeing the horror, the blood, the gore. It was Peter, the escaped, the unharmed who did this. Not he, the accused. But that was life's bitter irony, wasn't it? The world turned its back on you just when you needed it most. It decided not to care for you just when you needed caring, for God's sake, when your best friend had died. He knew it was partly his fault, for he, blinded by wrath and tears, had gone after Peter. But he knew the Ministry would never listen. The evidence all pointed to him. Peter must have thought he was so clever. And he had been. Someday, though, one day, he would be avenged. Perhaps by Harry? Oh God, what would happen to Harry? He remembered Hagrid's words: 

__

"How did Harry survive? How in God's name did he..." Sirius' voice trailed off as he stared at the miraculous survivor.

"Nobody'll know, I guess," said Hagrid, big tears leaking down his beard, mixing with the rain. "Nobody will ever know."

"I'm his godfather, give him to me, Hagrid. Oh please! It's the only thing I have left." James had so wanted Sirius to be Harry's godfather.

"Dumbledore's orders, Sirius. I'm sorry. He's to go to his aunt's and uncle's."

At least Harry would be safe there. Oh Harry, thought Sirius, I wish you the best of luck. Until we meet again...

__

12 years later

Sirius Black sat on the floor of his cell, filthy and miserable. It had been twelve years since that miserable day, since his recklessness and wrath had landed him in this wretched prison. He heard the minister's voice coming down the hall and lifted his head.

"Of course, of course. They're required by the Ministry. I can't complain. How is…" Fudge's voice trailed off as the guard and Minister came down the row of cells. Fudge squatted down in front of Sirius.

"Hello, Black," he said.

"Hello, Minister," Sirius croaked. It had been a while since he had used his voice…how long, a year, two years?

"How are you doing?"

Sirius wasn't listening to Fudge. He was staring at the paper under Fudge's arm.

"Looking at my paper, eh? Want to see it?" Fudge offered, extending the newspaper through the bars of the cell.

"Yes please," answered Sirius. He wanted to know what was happening in the wizarding world. It had been over four years since he had heard any news. He took the paper from Fudge's hand and looked it over and spotted the crossword puzzle on the back. "I miss doing the crossword," he said wistfully. "I used to have such fun figuring out the clues." _With James_, he added silently.

Fudge looked startled, but he nodded politely. "I see," he replied.

"May I keep this newspaper, Minister?" Sirius asked. He wanted to keep track of ouside news.

"Why, yes, if you would like," Fudge answered, surprised and a little fearful of Sirius' sanity. "I can always get another one for myself," the minister said, attempting cheerfulness.

A smile flickered across Sirius' face. "Thank you," he said, opening up the newspaper. The Minister produced a phony smile and walked to the next cell. 

__

What's in here today? Sirius thought, as he scanned the newspaper index on the front. _Hmm…Betty Bott's breast enhancement charms packets…_ he sniggered in his head. _Scandal…the Apothecary has dirty facilities by Rita Skeeter_…he frowned slightly. How had that nosy girl Rita gotten into the Daily Prophet business? _Lucky Weasley family wins daily draw_, _E3 for more information…_Sirius flipped open the newspaper noisily and began to read the article. He liked the Weasleys, well he had only known one of them, Bill Weasley, but he was a nice fellow. 

Scanning the article, the accused criminal read about how the Weasley family was going to visit Bill in Egypt with their seven hundred Galleons. There was also a picture of the family. All nine members of the family were waving happily at the camera, and on one of the boys' shoulders, there was a rat. Sirius examined the picture more closely. 

__

Peter! _Oh god…_he glanced over the article again. _Hogwarts…some of the kids attend Hogwarts…is Harry…oh god no…_

July 30 was the fateful day Sirius Black read an article and discovered that Harry Potter went to Hogwarts, and July 30 was the day he escaped from Azkaban. 


	2. Harry

Chapter 2: Harry  
  
Finally the second chapter is out! Enjoy! And PLEASE review! I beg you!  
  
Disclaimer: None of the characters or places or (maybe) the plot of this story is mine. And I don't own the description of the landscape exactly. It's J.R.R. Tolkien's. So don't sue me!  
  
The water lapped against Sirius' tired, aching feet as he finally reached the desolate gray shore. His body was covered with gritty salt from the ocean water, but he felt much cleaner than he had when he was in Azkaban. The ocean, however saline it was, was better than the dank, filthy building of the wizard prison, where despair and anguish hovered ever in the air. Sirius pulled himself onto the beach in his Animagus form, shivering with cold.  
  
Where do I want to go first? He asked himself, able to think clearly for the first time in years. Hogwarts is a long way away. I need food and shelter and drink. Of course! The nearest town. How could I be so stupid? But wait...where is the nearest town? Sirius yellow dog eyes roamed around the shore. Everything was gray, almost colorless, and only miniscule signs of life could be seen in the nearest vicinity. Hmmm...he thought. I guess I have to search then. With his rediscovered voice he heaved his body with a sigh and began to search for a nearby town or village. Damp gray sand stuck to his feet as he bounded across the coast with his broad paws. The land seemed to stretch on for miles without any sign of human life. It was a seemingly evil area near Azkaban, and Sirius searched hopelessly.  
  
At last he found a small grove of trees where he could rest his weary body, which was still in dog form. He climbed into the forest, grateful for the shelter of the woodland where he could rest his weary body and not be on the lookout for Ministry wizards. As his eyes closed down in search of sleep, he remembered one last thought: Go and find Harry before you get to Hogwarts.  
  
Sirius woke to a surprisingly bright day. At least, it seemed bright to him. It was, in fact, a cloudy, dreary day, and the ordinary human being would look out of their window and take it as an omen as a very bad day with its smothering cloud cover. After Azkaban, however, the fugitive felt as though the sun was covering him with heavenly rays. He transformed himself back into a human and stretched, waking up from a blissful and peaceful sleep. He thought for a moment and decided to first go in search of food.  
  
After walking through the trees for a while (always under their shelter in dog form), Sirius spotted a rat run across the leaves on the forest floor. Instinctively the dog part of him ran after it hungrily. With a triumphant crunch his sharp teeth caught it in his mouth, and he devoured it greedily. His human side felt a little sick when he realized, with a shock, that he had just eaten a rat, but it was food, and for the present that was all that mattered. Now he started off in search of drink--or, more specifically, water. He was extremely thirsty and for the first time he recognized the disgust of having a body covered with salt water. For a long time afterward he could not bear to smell anything to do with the ocean. For the present, however, he knew he had to withstand the scent, and he walked out of the forest into the open land.  
  
The land was covered with bleak, matted patches of grass. Occasionally a dead, withered flower could be seen here or there, as if the barren landscape had squandered its remaining will to grow. The great black dog flattened the grass with his paws as he wandered around the landscape in search of water. At least he found a thin, trickling gully. It was nearly dry. He lapped up some of it and started running north, as the thought suddenly came to him that he wanted to find Harry before he headed toward Hogwarts. He still had a whole month before the school year started, and the chance to see his godson should not be wasted.  
  
When the day waned and finally came to an end, Sirius had run many miles north, stopping here and there for water and food (mostly rats.) The land gradually became better as he traveled, first turning into larger patches of grass and finally into broad fields and meadows. He slept in a field with the cover of wide stalks of grass, feeling a sense of relief for the rest. His more sensible state of mind told him he should travel by night and rest by day, but for now, his exhausted body begged for recovery. Day Two of his hiding had ended, and Day Three would come tomorrow.  
  
For the next three days Sirius ran north, growing thinner and thinner and feeling more hopeless. Once or twice a kind farmer in the rural area in which he had been taking refuge would take pity on the starved, shaggy dog and give him a few morsels to eat, but most of the time he was either not seen or was simply avoided by the humans. At last, when a week had passed, he reached a Muggle village in Surrey in the evening. He turned onto a lane and found Privet Drive. It sounded vaguely familiar, but he could not recall where he had heard it from. His eyes swept over the neat row of Muggle houses surrounding the street with their opposite faces and he decided to hide in one of the resident's yards. Slipping around to the back of the house, he quietly made his way through the yard and lay down there silently, ready for a good nap.  
  
Sirius woke suddenly to the sound of running feet. He started fearfully. Had one of the Ministry wizards caught him? He had been hiding safely for so long that he had almost forgotten the wizarding world. Quickly he walked over to the fence and roved the street with luminous eyes. He spotted a boy frantically running, panting with the effort of dragging a large trunk down the street. On top of the trunk was a cage carrying some kind of bird. The boy's face was heated as if with anger. Moved by a sudden instinct of familiarity, Sirius followed the boy two blocks away from where he had slept, trespassing onto residents' backyards. The boy stopped on an alley called Magnolia Crescent, collapsing on top of the trunk as if all his strength had given out. He turned around all of the sudden as if he sensed someone watching him. Almost instantly he spotted Sirius' bright yellow eyes and he fumbled with something in his hand--a long wooden stick. He muttered a Latin incantation and  
the stick lit up. Sirius was able to see his face for the first time and felt suddenly as though he did not have a body.  
  
The boy was Harry Potter, his godson, and he was running away from his Muggle relatives. Sirius longed to reach out to him, to hold him in a loving embrace. Before he had the chance to attract his godson's attention, however, Harry turned around and paid for a trip on the Knight Bus, which had suddenly screeched to a halt in the middle of the street. Sirius slipped back into the shadows, not without joy. For the first time in twelve years, he had seen his godson, Harry Potter. 


	3. Hogwarts

**Chapter 3: Hogwarts**

Chapter Three, yay. Read, enjoy, and review! 

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters nor the plot in this literary piece. It all belongs to J.K. Rowling, an ingenious and published author.

          Sirius slipped back into the shelter of the shadowy night as he glanced one last time at the spot where his godson had stood a few minutes earlier. He knew now that it was time to start his journey to Hogwarts. He felt energized and wired presently and decided to begin his trip by traveling in the dark. The night was young, and he had plenty of time for his voyage.

          His doglike form crept out of the suburban area and once again commenced its trip through the rural community. Sirius vaguely had a sense of where Hogwarts was; he remembered that in his youth, on the Hogwarts Express, Lily, with her crazy and yet ingenious Muggle devices, had showed him a strange thing called a compass. The needle inside had pointed north as the scarlet train had carried the kids to school. Sirius looked around in his direction and confirmed that he was traveling north, then continued his expedition, knowing that as he got nearer to the castle, he would sense the magic inside of him getting stronger. He stopped for a moment, panting, and continued running. 

          After about three days, the magic started to call him and tugged at his strength as he got closer to the wizards' school. With renewed energy, he ran with a fiercer, stronger will. Feeling a strange sense of urgency, he hurriedly sprinted toward the school, hardly noticing the pain and need for air in his gaunt, thin legs and starved body. Finally he spotted something that looked startlingly familiar. He paused and stared at it for a second, waiting for the memory to come back to him, and finally recognized the dark mass of trees. It was the Forbidden Forest on the Hogwarts grounds. He had done it. He had reached his destination. Now all he had to do was to find that horrible traitor, Peter. 

          Sirius slipped under the dark, black gathering of trees and fell to the ground, exhausted. His eyes closed almost instantly under the secure hiding place, and his body finally relaxed after three days of nonstop running. Waves of sleep hovered over him as he fell asleep, relieved at last. 

          He didn't know how long he slept in the forest. He had been so tired that perhaps he hadn't even woken up for days, or possibly even weeks. When he finally awoke, it was still dark (as the Forbidden Forest always was), but rays of sunlight were trying to penetrate the massive canopy. His body, recovered from exhaustion, made him realize his lack of food. Consequently his stomach growled hungrily. Without thinking he went off in search of rats, then realized that since now he was on Hogwarts grounds, he might eat Peter in his Animagus form. He shuddered at the thought. However, he had to eat. As he explored the forest he gathered up any edible food that was available. After he bathed in a small, unknown pool he lay down, pondering his situation. How was he to get to Peter? If the Weasley boy kept him as a pet, then the rat would most likely be staying in the castle. He couldn't just walk into the castle, a smelly, skinny old dog. He was also most likely on the news by now, and the students and teachers there might become suspicious.  Nobody knew about his Animagus form now, except Peter (and it wasn't possible for him to transform) and Remus…but Remus surely wasn't teaching at Hogwarts? He was more of an author or such, writing textbooks for the education field. He couldn't be at Hogwarts. 

          That afternoon Sirius discovered that he was not alone in the Forest. Later he chastised himself for it; the Forbidden Forest was always full of unexpected magical creatures, as he knew from previous experiences from his youth. This cat, however, didn't seem to be extraordinarily magical. It seemed…it almost seemed as if it were an Animagus like him. But that wasn't possible, because then it surely would have reported him by now. He shook his head, trying to clear it of worries, and went back to thinking about the cat he had met. It had ginger hair and was unusually ugly; it looked like someone had been so annoyed with it that he or she had smashed its face into a brick wall. Sirius didn't blame the person who might have done it. The cat was a little too smart for its own good. It had known at once that Sirius was not a real dog and had attempted to fight with him, which annoyed him greatly. Surely he would seem like a real dog to other animals by now. He had been in his Animagus form for so long. After he had bared his teeth and glared at the cat (his glares had been notoriously strong in warding off unwanted companions) it had scampered off, but not before it seemed to search him with its eyes. With its bottlebrush tail held arrogantly high, it had marched off back to its owner and away from the dog. Sirius growled angrily and irritably. That cat…that cat knew he wasn't a dog, and he didn't like it. 

          As the night closed down on the world, Sirius decided to explore the castle grounds a little more. He had been famously good at sneaking around on the grounds when he was a student at Hogwarts, and he didn't suppose it would hurt to test his skills in this time period. His black shape cast dark shadows on the moonlight as he crept around on the lawn, watching warily for the cat and for other humans. Not meeting any challenges, he walked boldly closer to the castle, hoping to catch a glimpse through the windows of its familiar hallways and corridors. The castle, however, was pitch-black, and he slunked off, disappointed. 

          The night grew old quickly and Sirius sprinted back to his safe shelter in the forest. He heard voices coming from the lawn and his ears perked up. Two girls were talking about Quidditch, and as Sirius peeked through the trees, he saw them turn and disappear to the other side of the school. Presently he heard the laughter and yelling of a Quidditch training session and the swish of broomsticks in the air. Out of curiosity he went towards the voices, always keeping a low profile, until he found the Quidditch pitch. The team, dressed in scarlet robes, was warming up in the air. It was the Gryffindor team and Sirius felt a renewed elation as old memories came back to him of James and his childhood at Hogwarts. He knew, however, that it was not safe to stay there watching, and he went back to the forest reluctantly. Weary from the lack of sleep, he once again closed his eyes and fell asleep with a great sense of relief.

A/N: Please review this fic, it means a lot to me! I'd really appreciate it. Thanks to all previous reviewers—majiklmoon, sassee, and Screech. I'm glad that they reviewed and would appreciate it if you did the same. 


	4. The Fat Lady's Portrait

**Chapter Four: The Fat Lady's Portrait**

Hello all, chapter four is out, be happy! 

He had made friends with the cat, finally. It had taken him weeks to establish a bond between him and the cat. Crookshanks, it was called. He often saw its owner, a bushy-haired brunette, striding around the lawns, calling its name. It was strange that such a creature could be tamed; the cat—Crookshanks—was so smart and clever. Strange indeed.

            Sirius had seen Harry out and about with the cat's owner once, or perhaps it was only his imagination. He believed that once they had been to visit Hagrid with one of the Weasley children, on the first week of school or so—Hagrid had nearly dragged them back to school angrily after that. The giant gamekeeper probably thought that Sirius was after Harry. That wasn't true. It was all backward; he was trying to get to _Peter, not Harry. Sirius felt small stirring of anger rising up inside of him and he took a deep breath, calming himself down. _

            It was night again, and Sirius was bored. The castle grounds seemed so silent and watchful under the cover of darkness. The clouds matted the sky in a smothering cover of coming rain. Sirius felt something; a slight sense of foreboding, perhaps. Something was going to happen. He felt it calling to him. Laying himself out onto the ground, he decided to take a short nap in the forest and then go in search of something to eat. 

            When he woke, it was dawn. Apparently the rain or clouds had cleared out during the night; the twilight sunrise sent a collage of colors across the sky, gradually descending from red to yellow, down to the horizon. It was beautiful, and Sirius sucked in his breath as he watched it for a few minutes. He felt a revival of strength. So long had he been hiding in the dark trees that he had almost forgotten the beauty of light and sun. As the sun rose and spread its light across the fresh morning sky, Sirius took a deep breath of fresh air and stretched out on the grass. 

            The October day was chilly and nipped Sirius with a slight shiver. He wished he had a coat on. Transforming in his Animagus form, he ran around in the forest for a bit and then ate his daily diet of rats—he had gotten used to the taste by then. Lamps were lit in the towers of the castle as the teacher prepared their lessons, and as the hour passed by, Sirius saw more and more faces appear at the windows, a yearning expression on them, wishing for the day to end so that they could go outside. A flock of owls hooted and flew into the Great Hall, delivering the mail. Sirius wondered where Crookshanks was. 

            As if on cue, Crookshanks suddenly appeared from behind a nearby bush. It seemed that the male cat had a message to send. Sirius waited expectantly and gradually learned that the students would be out for the evening in a nearby village. _Hogsmeade, Sirius thought. __It's the first trip to Hogsmeade. Peter—or, the rat-but-not-rat to Crookshanks--was living in Gryffindor Tower, in the Weasley child's bed or nightstand. So far he had not done any harm to anyone in the castle; in fact, he looked extraordinarily thin and worried. Probably he was worried about Sirius' future revenge for James' and Lily's death. That was quite true._

            As the day waned, the students began filing out of the castle for the trip to Hogsmeade. Sirius did not see Harry among them, but he supposed that since there were so many students, he wouldn't have been able to spot his short godson's head amongst the crowd anyway. After an hour had passed Sirius snuck through the front doors and instinctively made his way through the halls to Gryffindor Tower. He had decided to avenge himself tonight. It would be easy to get into Gryffindor Tower; the Fat Lady had always let him in, and it wouldn't be too hard to convince her now. As he climbed up the winding staircase, he made sure that nobody was around, and then transformed back into his human form. Then he finally reached the Fat Lady's portrait. She was snoozing.

            "Er…excuse me…" he said tentatively. She didn't wake up. He tried again. "Excuse me…er…Fat Lady…could you let me in?"

            The lady's eyes fluttered open. "And who may you be? What is the password?"

            "I'm terribly sorry, Missus. I forgot it. I'm terrible at remembering things like that, and all of my classmates are out at Hogsmeade, and so I can't get in," Sirius lied. He didn't know that he sounded exactly like Neville Longbottom, except for his voice.

            "What is your name?" the Fat Lady asked, more sharply.

            "Er…"

            The Fat Lady's eyes were finally open, and when she saw Sirius, she let out a small cry. "You are not a resident of Gryffindor Tower," she stated simply.

            "No, I was, I mean, I am a—" Sirius stammered, not expecting this. 

            "You don't know the password, and you are simply one that I have not seen before. You cannot go in."

            "But—don't you recognize me—" he pleaded. 

            "No. You cannot go in."

            Later he did not know what made him do it. He had stared at the horror afterward, then heard Peeves' voice and had run away, terrified. His frustration finally took control of him and he had taken out a big knife—he could not recall where he had gotten it from—a long, twelve-inch knife, and had slashed at the Fat Lady's portrait. He had stabbed and slashed angrily, insanely, until the spasm finally passed. But by then it was too late. By then, strips of canvas had been strewn over the floor, scattered everywhere, a thousand miniscule little pieces, something he had done, his own sin, his own creation. It was irreplaceable. The Fat Lady had fled, and her portrait was gone. 

Horrified, Sirius stood there gaping for a moment. Then he heard Peeves' mocking voice and he turned and fled down the stairs. As soon as he reached the outside, he transformed himself back into the Animagus form. He heard the sound of students' voices approaching and sprinted into the heart of the Forbidden Forest. Once there, he transformed again in a panic and took deep breaths, still not quite believing his sin, his act of anger and insanity. _Harry will never forgive me, he thought, before realizing that Harry still thought he was a cold-blooded murderer._

            _No one will believe me. No one will think I did it by accident. No one will ever believe me. And with that, Sirius plunged into a fitful, weary sleep, hoping that when he woke up, it would all be a dream._

            But it wasn't.

A/N: thank you to all reviewers of Chapter 3: Kanari, Hannah Reitman, and "wellduh…" I really appreciate their reviews and hope you do the same! Please review this! Thanks. 


	5. The Quidditch Match

**Chapter Five: The Quidditch Match**

I'm sorry this took so long to update. I'll try to do better for the next chapter. The Internet server kept getting down, too. 

Disclaimer: The plot, characters, and settings in this story all belong to J.K. Rowling. None of it belongs to me. 

November was wet and rainy, and it gave Sirius the chills. Each night after hunting he would crawl into his makeshift bed in the forest, hoping it wouldn't rain tomorrow, or the day after, so he wouldn't feel so wet, miserable, and cold as he went to sleep. Each day it rained. Sirius scowled at the dark clouds in the sky as he woke up every morning. He hated the rain and the chills and was very bored with his hiding. He wished something would happen, a Quidditch game, anything. He occasionally watched the Gryffindor team practice in the fields, in the early morning, but he hadn't done that lately. It wouldn't hurt to see if they were out now. Stretching out his legs, Sirius bounded out of the forest in his doglike form, heading off toward the Quidditch pitch. 

The Gryffindor team was practicing in the rain. Sirius saw Harry flying around the field and he smiled inwardly. He had spotted Harry in the scarlet robes another morning ago, talking to the Gryffindor Keeper and having fun flying. He looked so much like James that it scared Sirius sometimes. While watching Harry, the godfather often wondered whether he had been borne back into the past, been given a second chance, to save James and tell him his fate. However, he had to shake the thoughts out of his head once he caught a passing glance at Harry's Lily-like eyes. They were bright green, keen, and very clear. Once Sirius had seen them filled with sadness and anger, and that called to him. Harry needed a family, and he would soon give that to him.

The Gryffindor team was in intense training on the field. It looked like they had a match coming up. The Keeper wasn't there yet. After a few minutes, the Keeper (and Captain) of the team came storming on the field very angrily. The rest of the team dropped down to the ground in silence, waiting. Sirius leaned closer in order to hear what the Captain was saying.

"We're not playing Slytherin!" he told them angrily. "Flint's just been to see me. We're playing Hufflepuff instead."

Sirius didn't know what the effect of this news was, but this was apparently bad news. He thought of Flint, a nasty, clever boy in his time at Hogwarts. He was a typical Slytherin, and Sirius suspected his son would be the same.

"Why?" the rest of the team asked. 

"Flint's excuse is that their Seeker's arm's still injured," the Captain answered furiously. "But it's obvious why they're doing it. Don't want to play in this weather. Think it'll damage their chances…" A clap of thunder was heard in the distance.

"There's _nothing wrong with Malfoy's arm!" Harry replied furiously. "He's faking it!"_

"I know that, but we can't prove it," the Captain rejoined bitterly, "And we've been practicing all those moves assuming we're playing Slytherin, and instead it's Hufflepuff, and they're style's quite different. They've got a new Captain and Seeker, Cedric Diggory—" He was interrupted by giggles from the three girl Chasers, and he frowned irritably. "What?" he asked.

"He's the tall, good-looking one, isn't he?" one of them commented.

"Strong and silent," said another, and the girls giggled again.

One of the Weasley boys said impatiently, "He's only silent because he's too thick to string two words together. I don't know why you're worried, Oliver, Hufflepuff is a pushover. Last time we played them, Harry caught the Snitch in about five minutes, remember?" 

Sirius smiled inwardly as he heard of Harry's feat.

"We were playing in completely different conditions!" Oliver responded passionately. His eyes bulged slightly, and Sirius could see he was very worried about the change of teams. "Diggory's put a very strong side together! He's an excellent Seeker! I was afraid you'd take it like this! We mustn't relax! We must keep our focus! Slytherin is trying to wrong-foot us! We _must win!" _

"Oliver, calm down!" said the Weasley boy who had spoken earlier. He looked alarmed. "We're taking Hufflepuff very seriously. _Seriously."_

The team then began their practice for the day. They trained harder than ever. Sirius concluded that it was very close to the day of a Quidditch match. He would check this place out tomorrow and find out. Quickly, he turned and headed back to the forest before one of the team saw him. He needed breakfast. 

After eating two rats in the forest and drinking a little bit of water from a small pond, Sirius stretched himself out on the forest ground and pondered the information he had just received from the Quidditch pitch. Malfoy was the Slytherin Seeker; Sirius guessed that the Lucius Malfoy he hated had a son who was attending Hogwarts. _Who would marry him, I don't know, thought Sirius, __but she must have been desperate. __Lucius' son must be horrible, just like him. Lucius didn't have any Quidditch talent; he probably bought his son onto the team, with all the money he has. Poor Gryffindors, having to play a Malfoy in Quidditch. He then turned his thoughts to the Diggory boy the team had been talking about. Sirius remembered Amos Diggory, a rather arrogant boy in Ravenclaw. He had been Head Boy the year before James and him, and was bossy and pompous. Sirius hadn't liked very much, but he wondered what his son was like. Obviously a ladies' man, judging by the Chasers' reactions, and a Hufflepuff too. He mustn't be too bad if he were a Hufflepuff. He did, however, seem like a threat to the Gryffindor team, according to the Captain. Ah, well, he would wait and see._

The match occurred a few days later, on the Saturday of that week. It was raining and thundering as the two teams played, and the players kept crashing into people on their brooms. Nobody could see the game clearly. The Gryffindor Keeper landed and tried to call for a time-out. Slowly, the Gryffindor players descended, one by one, as they discovered the Captain's call. Harry landed last.

As the scarlet-robed group huddled under an umbrella, Crookshanks's owner, the bushy-haired girl, ran out of the stands and toward the team. She had her wand out and looked very happy about something. Sirius watched as she spoke to Harry and did a spell on the boy's glasses. The Captain looked ready to kiss her, and Harry looked delighted. The team then rose back up into the air again, ready to play.

Harry seemed to have a much better sense of direction after the girl's spell. He played passionately and joyfully, and with talent and skill. After hovering in the air for a few minutes looking for the Snitch—Sirius had figured out his godson was Seeker long ago—he suddenly looked into the stands, toward Sirius' direction, _straight at Sirius. Sirius panicked and dived under the stands. Harry had stopped to stare at the dog, but he was distracted. At that moment the Seeker called, in an anguished tone, "Harry! Behind you!" Harry spun around, shook the water out of his hair, and spotted the Snitch hovering near him playfully. He speeded toward it, ready for victory, but something stopped him._

A sudden silence spread over the cheering crowd, and Sirius felt a horribly familiar feeling come over him. He turned around slowly and saw long black robes above his head. Dementors. They were here, during the Quidditch match. Sirius shuddered and felt very angry. They were ruining the game. They ruined everything. They didn't care.

Sirius tore his eyes away from the nearby dementors and watched, horrified, as his godson fell off his broom fifty feet in the air. He was unconscious. Dumbledore ran out onto the field and slowed Harry down with his wand, then sent a Patronus to the dementors in the stands. The headmaster was brimming with fiery anger. The game resumed into its normal chatter as soon as the dementors left. The Hufflepuff Seeker, Diggory, caught the Snitch, and the Hufflepuff side of the stands erupted in cheers. Diggory then turned around and saw Harry on the ground. He flew and landed and tried to talk to the referee for a rematch. The referee shook her head and refused. Sirius saw her mouth form the words, "It was a fair game, Diggory, and you know it." Diggory began arguing with her. Sirius looked away and back to the field. 

Gryffindor supporters were pouring out onto the field, with Crookshanks' owner and the youngest Weasley boy in the lead. The teachers ordered them to back off, and one of them conjured a stretcher and put Harry on it. They were taking him up to the castle. He looked dead, but he couldn't be dead. His broomstick was being swept away by the wind. Sirius sat there, shocked. This was all his fault. It was all his fault the dementors came. 

Sirius ran back to the forest, drenched, and saw with horror that Harry's broomstick had been carried to the Whomping Willow. It was already in many pieces. He spotted a professor coming out to retrieve the bits of wood and straw. It was Flitwick. The teacher put a charm on the tree and hurriedly collected the pieces of the broomstick in a bag. Sirius followed him with his eyes. He had gone back into the school. 

Sirius went to his makeshift bed and sat down, sopping wet and very depressed. He had ruined the Quidditch match. He had made Harry fall from his broomstick. It was all his fault. He knew what he had to do. He had to get Harry a new broomstick. He would get Crookshanks to help him. Sirius sighed. It was all his fault, but he would help pay the damage. For Christmas, he would send Harry a new broomstick, and make his godson happy again. 

A/N: *wipes sweat off brow* that was a ton of writing. Please review! Any suggestions are welcome. If you want more dialogue, if you think this just drags on and on, if you like the style the way it is, etc. Please review. I would really, really appreciate it. Thanks very much. 

Special thanks to **googoo4you for reviewing. I really appreciate it. J**


	6. Christmas Holidays

**Chapter 6: Christmas Holidays**

Disclaimer: The plot, characters, and setting of this story belong to J.K. Rowling. None of it belongs to me. This story was not written for profit, only entertainment.

            The Christmas holidays had come, and so had the freezing snow. Sirius' canine body shivered constantly from the wind and moisture that descended on its fur. The fugitive didn't dare transform back into a human anymore. Not only was it unsafe, but he did not know if his human body could handle the cold. Dog fur gave him protection.

            The magnificent castle was covered in a blinding layer of snow, as was its lawn. Hagrid's cabin was a gingerbread house in the distance. It was the type of place anyone would want to stay in for vacation. The students seemed to be enjoying the holidays. They constantly went in and out of the castle, bundled up in their House uniforms and coats, to have snowball fights or to build snowmen. The couples of the school had romantic moments under the icicle-covered mistletoe, from early gift-giving to first kisses. Hogwarts was a paradise.

            Sirius, who had become lazy in his four-month stay at Hogwarts, suddenly started. His godson was walking to Hagrid's cabin with his two best friends. Had he got the present? The broomstick? He wasn't carrying it. Perhaps he hadn't liked it! No, wait. Was it Christmas yet? Tomorrow, then. _Stop worrying, Sirius, he scolded himself. __Getting worked up over nothing—Harry's not even got his present yet. Mentally he shook himself and focused instead on Hagrid. He had thrown himself onto Harry and was sobbing. Harry's friends struggled to lift him up and lead him into the cabin._

            "Now what could that be about?" Sirius wondered silently. "Perhaps Hagrid has got some new monster of a sort and it died." He chuckled weakly, remembering his years at Hogwarts, sneaking out of the school with the other Marauders to visit the half-giant and listen to him fantasize about having a baby dragon. _He always wanted one, Sirius remembered. __Perhaps he has one now. He felt a sense of alarm at this thought. __A baby dragon?! _

            He heard human footsteps coming toward him and he retreated into the forest. A couple had stopped near the trees. The girl had long black hair, was short, and was very pretty, while the tall, handsome boy and deep gray eyes and dark brown hair.

            "Cedric," the girl said. 

            "Cho," he answered.

            "Cedric, what is it?"

            "I wanted to..." Cedric reached into his robes pocket and took a deep breath. "I wanted to give you something." He pulled out a beautifully wrapped gift and handed it to the girl, Cho. She looked startled.

            "Thanks," she said hesitantly. "May I open it?"

            "If you want," he replied, but then he quickly added, "but I want it to be your most beautiful Christmas present. Open it last, after all your other gifts, as a favor for me."

            "Sure," she answered, confused.

            "Cho," Cedric started. He faltered and stared in the distance, watching some redheaded twins have an intense snowball fight. "Cho," he began again, looking down at her, "I like you. I really, really like you. I mean, you're amazing. I think you're incredible. I..." he stopped again, pausing to gain his courage. "I would like to go out with you."

            "You mean, on a date?" she asked, smiling in disbelief.

            "Yes, on a date. We can start small—Hogsmeade or somewhere. And then if it works out, we can go visit each other, in the summer and meet our parents and so forth, you know, like that."

            "Okay," she answered uncertainly.

            "So—tomorrow, will you meet me in the Great Hall at lunch? And we can go to Hogsmeade in the afternoon?" His face was hopeful.

            "Sure," she answered, smiling.

            Cedric looked unsure about what to do next. "Suppose we'd better head up to the castle then," he muttered, trudging up to the massive school. Cho followed him, and halfway there stopped. He looked at her. Sirius watched as Cho grinned mischievously, bent down to pick up some snow, and the two began having a snowball fight.

            Sirius smiled mentally, watching the two playing in their blissful happiness. They reminded him of James and Lily when they were teens. James had fretted about asking out Lily for a long time before he finally got the nerve to do it, and Lily had answered easily. "Yes."

            The rest of the day was loud and joyous in the beginning of the winter holidays. The night was cold, sharp, and beautiful in the moonlight. 

***

            On Christmas morning Sirius woke hopefully, hoping to see his godson out on the lawn with the broomstick he had given him. It was a bit early for anyone to be out, so Sirius kept his eyes fixed on Gryffindor Tower, hoping to see some movement. He knew it was hopeless, but it comforted him to see the haven of his past.              

            It was a few hours before anyone went out onto the lawn, and it was only Hagrid. Sirius became slightly anxious. Shouldn't Harry be out by now? Surely he, like his father, would wake up early on Christmas day. Surely he, like James, would go out to try a new broomstick once he got one. _Perhaps it's just too cold, Sirius rationalized. __Too cold to fly. He hadn't realized the chill of the air until now, oblivious to his environment since yesterday, when he'd realized the holidays had started._

            The day was basically the same as the previous one, except that there were less people outside playing because of the weather. Sirius was bored.

            Crookshanks appeared silently at his side. 

            _Hey, now, Sirius thought. __You old thing, you should be getting fat inside the castle, not out in the cold. Gratefully, he took the food that Crookshanks carried in his mouth. The cat ran off. Sirius watched it go. _

            _Tomorrow, he thought. __Tomorrow I will see how Harry is doing. For now, he would stay in the forest where he was safe, until he could hunt down Pettigrew and avenge James' death. _

A/N: Please review. 


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